Preparation for meditating

It’s nice to have a quiet place, not busy or full of distraction (sights, sounds or other people). Have a comfortable seat, not too ascetic (hard surface, unforgiving position) nor indulgent, not too pampered.

It’s not so easy to meditate from laying down, on side or supine, since there is a natural tendency to sleep. It’s more effective to meditate from a sitting or walking position where our mnd is better observed and allowed the attention to concentration and reflection, encouraging insight.

A brief pre-meditation stretch can ease the spine and free the breath. When sitting, I was originally taught perhaps 7 steps to sit with least distraction. In no required order, let the back be vertical b/c slumping or leaning will eventually begin to pull on your spine, shoulders/arms hang with hands supported on the knees or in our lap, let the chin rest gently in toward the throat, tip the tongue to rest at the front of the palate, lower the eyelids, either closed or barely open. That’s only 5 so I may have combined or forgotten 2 of them. Else hopefully those 2 had something to do with the breath awareness which follows.

It’s very encouraging for us to know that we begin our meditation by observing our breath, just as monks do, who have been at this for decades, often even in solitary year long retreats. Let mindfulness gently draw back the shade from the present moment. This happens when as the Buddha says, you ‘put mindfulness in front of you’. Preparation for meditation is setting ourselves up for mindfulness.